Carver Planning Board Votes 5-0 Against Earth Removal and Jellystone Rezoning Articles

CARVER — September 16, 2025 — Carver Planning Board votes unanimously to oppose two zoning articles headed to a special town meeting October 7. The board voted 5-0 to give unfavorable recommendations to both Article 8, which would have added earth removal as a permitted use in the Green Business Park Zoning District, and Article 13, which would have rezoned parcels at 20 Shoestring Road to general business and extended the planned tourist commercial overlay district to allow Jellystone Park operator J.P. Dancero to sell beer and wine on site to the campground's roughly 25,000 annual visitors. Chair of the Planning Board challenged Redevelopment Authority Vice Chair Savory Moore over an informational summary submitted to the Select Board that attributed "$4 to $5 million in unrealized tax revenue" to delays caused by the Planning Board, calling the statement "patently false and offensive." On the Jellystone article, a board member said "the town has no legitimate planning purpose to approve this," citing inadequate road access and the absence of any master plan calling for commercial zoning in that corridor. The board also voted unanimously to approve a minor modification to a Fosdick Road solar project and to send the town's revised accessory dwelling unit bylaw to town meeting with a favorable recommendation. The special town meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 7, at Carver Middle-High School Auditorium.